THE NlDiOtOC^IST. 



13 



and vegetation, and were all floating after 

 the Grebe pattern. All the eggs were 

 slightly incubated. 



I spent a good deal of the afternoon look- 

 ing for I^econte's Sparrows' nests. The 

 birds were fairly plentiful, but I failed to 

 locate a nest, as they are very shy around 

 their homeSt Western Savannah Sparrows 

 were numerous, and no doubt a lot of their 

 nests were scattered around on the prairie, 

 but the territory is large and the nest small, 

 and there you are. 



Western Meadowlarks were very musi- 

 cal and plentiful, and so were their nests, 

 but not for me this afternoon. The birds 

 seemed ' 'onto my racket, " and watched me 

 carefully a safe distance from their treasures. 

 I succeeded in getting one set of two eggs 

 of the Bronzed Grackle from a nest in a 

 small clump of willows just about sun- 

 down. 



I met a half-breed who knew, or said she 

 knew, where a Duck's nest was, but as she 

 told me she wanted to raise the young 

 Ducks I did not succeed in finding the nest, 

 although I offered her fifty cents if she 

 would point out the nest. 



The Plover and water-fowl can be heard 

 all night. 



I flushed a few Prairie or Columbian Sharp- 

 tailed Grouse out of the grass and looked 

 carefully for their eggs, but this day I did 

 not succeed in getting any. After return- 

 ing to the house I blew, washed and packed 

 away my eggs, and after recording my notes 

 carefully I retired about 12.30, good and 

 tired. 



E. Arnold. 

 Battle Creek, Mich. 



{To be continued.') 



Nesting of Wilson's Black-capped 

 Warbler. 



The Oregon Naturalist, of which No. i appeared 

 with September, is the latest aspirant for success. 

 The number received is devoted to birds, with 

 some wood cuts of heads, and is neatly arranged. 

 G. B. Cheney, Editor, Oregon City, Oregon; 25c. 

 per year. 



Walter F. Webb is making things hum around 

 Albion, N. Y., where he has succeeded to Lattiu's 

 big mail business in the egg trade. 



AMONG the rarer finds which I have 

 made this season is a fine set of this 

 species, one hitherto unknown to me 

 and one which I had no expectation 

 of finding breeding in this section. On 

 May 31 I started out at five o'clock in the 

 morning for a small swamp about a quarter 

 of a mile from home for an hour's hunt be- 

 fore breakfast, thinking I might obtain a 

 set of Maryland Yellow-throat, which are 

 numerous here, but difficult to locate. 

 When near the middle of the swamp a 

 small bird darted from the ground at my 

 feet, and at first I thought that I had found 

 the coveted nest of a Yellow-throat, but 

 standing still a moment both parent birds 

 appeared, and a glance at them told what 

 they were; then looking down at the nest I 

 saw that it was empty, so I immediately left 

 the vicinity, fearing that I should spoil my 

 chances for a set if I remained there long. 

 On June 5 I returned and flushed the bird 

 and found four eggs, which I left unmolest- 

 ed in the hope of getting a set of five. The 

 next day the nest contained tio more eggs, 

 so I took the set, first catching the bird by 

 suddenly clapping my hand over the nest. 

 There can be no trouble in identifying this 

 bird, as its black cap and golden-yellow 

 cheeks and throat mark it very plainly. 



The nest was situated among some short 

 bushes on a small grassy knoll in wet 

 swampy land. The nest was sunken in the 

 ground and well concealed by the fine 

 swamp grass. It was made almost wholly 

 of fine dry grass, lined with very few hairs, 

 deeply cupped and quite substantial for a 

 ground Warbler's nest. The ground color 

 of the eggs is pure white; number one has 

 a light wreath of small dark specks about 

 the crown, number two has the crown com- 

 pletely covered by larger spots, number 

 three is the same but has in addition some 

 large light-brown splashes over half of the 

 ^^^, and number four has large light-brown 

 splashes and spots that cover the small end. 

 The eggs are small and quite pointed, about 

 the size of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher's. This 

 nest, together with a set of Myrtle Warbler, 

 n-4, and a set of Nastiville Warbler, n-5, 

 made a very satisfactory morning's work, 

 FrHd B. Spaulding. 

 I^ancaster, N. H. 



